Nahua-Nanti Reserve, Peru

The Nahua-Nanti Reserve is located 100km from Cuzco, a 450,000 hectare Amazonian reserve in South Eastern Peru established to protect uncontacted indigenous tribes living in voluntary isolation. Acting as an important buffer zone to the Manu National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site the combined protected space represents one of worlds most valuable biological reserves. As if these cultural and biological riches were not enough the Nahua-r Nanti Reserve sits over the Camisea Gas field, one of Peru’s largest hydrocarbon discoveries. In 2012 the Peruvian Government announced plans to license off the mineral rights in the Camisea gas field.

Peru’s Ministry of Energy and Mines has approved the extension of licence block 88 which now overlaps with over 20% of the Nahua-Nanti reserve, home to a number of the indigenous amazonian tribes living in voluntary isolation. According to Survival International, Shells original exploration of the Camisea Gas field in 1986 let to Western diseases decimating the indigenous Nahua popolation by approximately 60%. Present plans for a series of 18 new drill sites in the region operated by Camisea consortium that includes Peruvian state oil company PlusPetrol, Hunt Oil and Repsol has led to UN Rapporteur on Indigenous peoples to raise concerns with the international community.